Joey King Reveals What Drove Her Decision To Star In The Princess - Exclusive

Joey King's career has been decidedly eclectic. The in-demand actress has grown up on screen, appearing in everything from "Ramona and Beezus" to "The Conjuring" to the first season of "Fargo." Today, she's perhaps best known as the lead character in the popular Netflix rom-com "The Kissing Booth" and for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Gypsy Rose Blanchard in the crime drama "The Act." But this summer, King is going full action hero — first as the title character in Hulu's "The Princess" and then as Prince in the eagerly anticipated Brad Pitt-led "Bullet Train."

In "The Princess," King goes up against legions of soldiers in an effort to take back her kingdom from a villainous Lord (Dominic Cooper) intent on marrying her and claiming her father's throne for himself. But while King's character may start the movie looking like a typical medieval damsel, she's far from helpless, and those who underestimate her do so at their own peril. 

King is completely convincing as an ass-kicking princess who's determined to do whatever she can to save herself and her family, and the role makes a compelling case for King as an action star. Yet there's no denying the film is a departure from many of the projects King's become known for. In a discussion with Looper, King explained why she decided to take on the action-heavy lead role in "The Princess."

Joey King revealed that one of the key reasons she wanted to be a part of "The Princess" was the challenge of her role. "This movie resonated with me because when I read the script, I was like, 'Holy crap. I don't know if I can pull this off, but I know I want to try,'" she shared. "It scared me a little bit. I knew that I would have to jump into the deep end, as far as starting my martial arts training — give myself over to that and be willing to get hurt. It really excited me and scared me, and I'd never taken anything on like it before."

King doesn't just star in the film; she's also an executive producer, a role that enabled her to be even more involved in bringing the story to the screen. Her decision to take on both jobs came down to the tale the movie told. "I loved this empowerment story of someone who's so underestimated and comes out on top," King reflected. "All of it made sense to me, and I was so lucky that I was able to not just come on as the lead of the movie, but as an executive producer, and be able to have my mark on this movie in more than one [way]."

"The Princess" is available to stream on Hulu.